Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Time Out says

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3 out of 5 stars

Time Out says

3 out of 5 stars

There's a seen-it-all-before quality to this sequel but JA Bayona’s horror influences bring some lovely touches to the dino action.

This fun, pacy addition to the dino disaster franchise doesn’t do much that’s particularly new – though what it does, it does with a fair whack of panache. That’s largely thanks to gifted Spanish director JA Bayona, who brings to bear the macabre touches that made ‘The Orphanage’ such a spooky treat. Short of bringing Mr DNA back as a flesh-craving zombie, ‘Fallen Kingdom’ is as close as the ‘Jurassic’ movies are going to come to a horror film and it gels nicely with a franchise that’s always had a gleefully sadistic streak. It’s at its most fun when things (limbs, mainly) are going bump in the dark in a third act that pays homage to classic horror films.

Kicking off where ‘Jurassic World’ left off, we find cloning corporation InGen picking up the pieces after the catastrophic collapse of its dinosaur park. Not only is Isla Nubla now overrun with prehistoric critters, the island’s dormant volcano is erupting – seriously, were there no islands without volcanos? – and about to make them all extinct again. Cue dino rights activist Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard, swapping the heels for boots this time) and wisecracking raptor trainer Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) to help with the seemingly suicidal rescue mission and share some feisty chemistry. Jeff Goldblum’s Dr Ian Malcolm returns with doomy warnings about where all this Dino Lives Matter fervour will lead.

There’s more than an echo of ‘Jurassic Park: Lost World’ in all this, right down to the gnarly and extremely edible military types who accompany Claire and Owen back to the island. Bayona, though, banishes that sense of old ground being revisited in one virtuoso action sequence, spiralling his camera between fleeing humans and dinosaurs with molten lava in pursuit. In its midst, he even manages to stage a fight between a T-Rex and a stegosaurus that will settle a thousand playground disputes.

The second half opens up the story in more surprising ways, though there’s still the lingering feeling of a ‘Jurassic Park’ greatest hits medley playing out as an array of dinosaurs, new and old, are let loose afresh against a backdrop of corporate villainy. One of them can even open doors, a terrifying new trait that will take some topping in the next movie. A dinosaur that can disconnect your wifi, perhaps?

The Jurassic Park franchise is milked further by this pretty pointless addition so soon after the last reboot featuring Chris Pratt. This time they go onto the island to rescue the dinosaurs before a volcano wipes them all out. After a brief ethical debate as to whether they should be rescued or left to be extinct once again it's decided they should indeed be taken away and brought somewhere safer. Of course as usual there's another agenda here and the latter part of the movie sees our heroes running away from the dinos in what looks like Croft Manor. It's kind of enjoyable and kids will love being scared and amazed by the large reptiles, but it all felt pretty pointless.

Okay, well there have been so many sequels I don't know where to start... the first was a classic and then it went downhill from there. However the reboot wasn't half bad, I quite enjoyed it. Some original ideas and a new cast who I enjoyed watching. But this film, truly should never have been made! They keep on going back and someone is always trying to make a buck by stealing the dinos... it's the same story rehashed and repackaged. This time it's very much 1 film too far.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is not comparable to its predecessor, which perhaps had set too high expectations for what it was to follow. I am a big fan of the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World sagas and about the subject matter, however, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was not the film for me. The CGI in the film was at points too unrealistic and the plot all over the place. It seems as if the director wanted to give a twist to the story, but instead ended up wanting to do too many things at once and failed at it.

This film was not as good as Jurassic World. I feel like they just wanted to make more money by making it as it was a bit unnecessary.This time around it Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was based on the destruction of Jurassic World since the last film. The volcano on the island is about to erupt and there is debates across the world about whether they should let nature take its course or to save the remaining dinosaurs on the island.

Chris Pratt this time around though was a bit unlikable and they didn't really develop his character like they did in the last film, and as most action and adventure films do, it became extremely cliche and far fetched. That being said, the CGI was amazing and the dinosaurs could've been real.

I watched this at the BFI Imax and with the 3D glasses, this really enhanced the experience, incredible graphics. I love watching dinosaurs and am fully aware I was too emotionally attached to something that was CGI but you can't help but root for Blue! Chris Pratt was at times slightly unrealistically indestructible, but I'm ok with that, it's Chris Pratt after all and he did give an enjoyable performance.

I would have liked slightly more action and I think they film could have been a little shorter with some unnecessary scenes cut out, with that being said it was an enjoyable watch!

Obviously nowhere near as good as the original because nothing can be - although the return of all round living legend Jeff Goldblum certainly brings a welcome reminder of how brilliant that film was - but much better than the last movie from three years ago...that pretty much sums up this, the fifth instalment of one of the worlds biggest blockbuster franchises.

Returning stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard deliver entertaining performances, he of the slightly chunky, twinkled eyed wardrobe and she of the Valley-girl twanged varieties but thankfully this time, she’s allowed to wear appropriate footwear and he gets to rekindle the Dino-bromance he started with Blue in the previous film. The Brits deliver perfect, family-friendly villainous turns in the form of Rafe Spall and Toby Jones - the latter wearing hair and teeth like none I’ve thankfully ever seen in real life - and although some of the supporting cast are a tad annoying (is it really that hard to find a young British girl who doesn’t make you want to claw your own ears off?), new-to-me Justin Smith is hugely entertaining and another cameo from the original cast will have you (quietly) cheering in your seat.

There are some lovely nods to the 1990 original & it’s first sequel, the opening scene is the perfect mix of adventure, fear & heart pounding excitement and the dinosaurs look absolutely fantastic. In particular, the new ‘souped-up’ velociraptor is particularly impressive, reminding me at lean, sinewy, screeching times of the titular monster from ‘Aliens’.

There’s a lovely score from Michael Giacchino, visionary director J A Bayona brings some surprisingly chilling moments to life in front of you and the overall film delivers both the thrills & laughs you’ve come to expect from the franchise as well as some truly moving moments...watch that lone brontosaurus and tell me it’s just a bit of grit in your eye. Leave your brain at the door and strap yourself in for two hours of galloping fun, Jurassic style.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom doesn't quite reach the heights of its smashing predecessor, but it still delivers the goods: fear, laughter and dinosaurs.

Yes, as other reviewers note, there is little that is overtly new compared to other films in the franchise. However, the plot is an interesting take on the question of how far humans should go in the pursuit of scientific discovery, and often profit.

Fallen Kingdom is decidedly tongue in cheek, often relinquishing seriousness and gravitas for a scene they just know the audience will want. Perhaps this lowers the tone, but it certainly increased my enjoyment.

It's no masterpiece, so why four stars? Because it delivered the most pure, unadulterated fun I've had in the cinema in ages. I laughed, I cried, I jumped. If you don't like the Jurassic franchise, this won't change your mind. But if you're a fan, here's another one to rewatch with glee.